Manually-operated bottle loader



Mayu, 1948'- J. LARMETT ET AL 2,441,494

MANUALLY-OPERATED BOTTLE LOADER Filed June 19, 1945 36 o 63j az Z7 26 27 l l E 26a, l Z6 if' ,1H 44d 36 l 92 zr 12 12, i t .g 1 16 17 g 16- 2817 1828 31 24 z3 M 2+ 25 Z8 z- 2; 2,8 23 2 29 30 30 v 30 29a ze n 29 27 y 26 3L Z7 Z7 -zvaaz INVENTOR7 E 3 JoH/v LAR/1511 J'oHN 6. LNMETT.

ATTORNEY Patented May 11, 1948 MANUALLY- OPERATED BOTTLE LOADER John Larmett and John S. Larmett,

Waterbury, Conn. f

Application June 19, 19457, Serial No. 600,352V

6 Claims.

This invention relates to bottle handling apparatus, and more particularly to a manuallyoperated bottle loader ior transferring simultaneously a plurality of bottles in two rows from a container to an endless conveyor for feeding'the bottles into a washing, lling, and capping machine.

One object of the present invention is toV provide a bottle loader of the above nature which is provided with two parallel rows of holes for receiving six bottles each, said bottles being held upon the loader by means of a pair of spring-pressed wings which are normally inclined upwardly and out of Vengagement with the bottle tops, but which may be pressed downwardly into horizontal position by the operation of a handle, into engagement with the necks of said bottles.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive `to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very eflicient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in View, there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of the improved manually-operated bottle loader as it appears when empty.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the same, taken along the line 2-2 of-Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View of the same, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. l, as it appears when the bottle loader has been lowered in position upon the necks of the bottles, but before the wings have been swung. downwardly into horizontal locking position. l

Fig. 4 is a similar transverse sectional view of the bottle loader, as it appears when the upper handle section has been pressed to swing the wings downwardly into engagement with the necks of the bottles under the tops beads thereof.

Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 26 indicates the base of the bottle loader having a xed bottom guide bracket I I of closed rectangular formation secured thereto as by three lock screws 32 located in tapped holes 33, i-n said base 26.

Provision is also made of a depressible yoke member I4, having a top horizontal handle bar I and a pair of L-shaped depending side sections provided with outstanding bars I4a, Hb for em- Y bracing the vertical sections oi the Xedbottom member II.

Y Provision is also made of a pair of transverse cross bars I2, I3 secured underneath the outstanding bars I4a, I4bas by screws I4c, which cross bars are adapted to rest upon two pairs of normally upwardly inclined wings I5, I6 and I1, I8, said wings having notches I9, 2B, and 2I, 22 arranged in alignment with a plurality of apertures 21 formed in the base 26.

The bottle loader is adapted to belowered upon a plurality of empty bottles B arranged in a flat container, usually holding two dozen bottles in two rows of twelve each, said bottles having top beads below which are shoulders 24 and reduced necks 23. The horizontal hand-engaging sections of the movable yoke member I4 and. the guide bracket II are normallypressed apart into the position shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3, by means of a pair of vertical coiled springs '26a located adjacent the ends of said sections. sections of the yoke member I4 are embraced by two pairs of side ears I4d integral with the guide bracket.

In order to maintain the wings I5, I6, I1, I8, normally in the Ainclined positions shown in Figs. 1-3, provision is made o f four elongated hinge pins 28 which extend the full length of the base 26 and serve to connect the side wings I5, I8 to aY pair of vertical hinge plates 29, securedto the base 26 by screws I36. The other two wings I6, I1 are secured to the base 26 by a pair of central overlapping horizontal hinge plates 29a held in place by the lock screws 32, which also attach ther guide bracket II to said base.

Provision is also made of a plurality of springs indicated by the numerals 3 I, saidrsprings having engagement with theundersurfaces of the wings I5, I6, I1, I8, as clearly shown in the drawing. The springs `3| also have engagement with the horizontal upper surface of the base 26 (as shown in Figs.3and 4). y

vThe springs 3| serve to urge the bottle-engaging wings I5, I6, I1, I8 to open positions at all times, and are sulciently strong so that when the handle I0 is released by the operator, the weight of the bottles will be overcome and they will drop out of the loader upon the conveyor belt or other support. In other words, in order to hold the bottles in the loa'der, it is necessary for the operator to keep the handle II) depressed at all times.

In order to limit the yoke I4 in its reciprocating up and down movements, provision is made of a plurality of guide bolts 34 having heads 35 and The verticalA threaded lower sections 3S which are adapted to be secure in tapped holes 31 in the base 26.

Operation In operation, when it is desired to manually 5 the loader-and lower itto the positionfshownfin- 10 Fig. 3. He will then press the top section IB of the yoke I6 downwardly toward the horizontal topi. section of the fixed lower bracketv l ThisL will. cause the two cross bars I2, l3"carrid by the outstanding bars Illa, Mb of the yoke-:1.fftoeengagew 15 l the inclined wings l5, I6 and I1, I8 andsWing-I them vdownwardly to the horizontal..Y position. shown in Fig. 4. The notches 19, '20, 2l,J 22"wi1lYV then engage the necks 23 of the bottlesE--belowY the shoulders 24 of the enlarged top beads25 of 20 The operator will then carry the entire-loader,- including the base '2G-and -thetwo r-rows of. six bottles4 from-z the-case-.of `yempties ato the end- 'oftheconveyor belt... Thefyoke M'wvill-then-.bereleased 25 whereuponthe-t-wingsi-iE-,l55;. 11, IIB-:Willlloe-pressedupwardly by# springaction-,- tot-the- -unlocked-.-in-- clinedf positions show-n: in Figs.; 1, .2 and 3, permitting-the bottlesfto-beideposited onthe conveyor.1

One advantage of: the present invention is that? 30.

itenti-relyg eliminatesphysicalv contactofthe operatorsihan-ds with- .the` bottles which zareirequently= chippedand h-ave-sharp edges Which- Would cut t the Yoperators fingers:

A further advantage .is that the -use-.of .ftheim- 35.

proved loader speeds-sup-.the-work of thebottling. plantc tremendously, .permittir-ig-Z chef-"operatory todo;` ,thel wor-looithree-,r as the-.previous practice.-

While there has -beendisclosed .-in this .speci= to engage under the enlarged upper beads of said bottles, temporarily, to permit said bottles to be lifted when said loader is raised, said bottles being released automatically by the action of said spring means which is suiiciently strong to overcome the weight of said bottles.

.2. In a bottle carrier for simultaneously transporting a plurality of bottles having enlarged upper beads from.; one place.y to another, a base block-'having apair of parallel rows of spaced apertures shaped to loosely embrace the beads ot a plurality of bottles arranged in alignment wi-tli-said--apertures, two pairs of initially upwardly-inclined wings hinged to said base block anri'locatedfxupon opposite sides of said rows of apertures, relatively strong spring means to no1- mallypressfsaid. wings upwardly to non-bottleholdi'ng position, and a manually-operated depressiblecross bar for swinging said wings downwardly to cause them to engage temporarily under thefenl-arged ,upper beads-of- -said- -bottle-tops and permit.J said bottles-teflueiii-ted- -whensaid loader is-.-..raised,.-.said-- spr-ingmeans'- havingsufiicient strength tea-overcome the=forcefduetofthe weight of.-saidbottlesfwhenisaid hand-leds released-.-

SsThe inventiomdefinedI-inl claim 1, in which said means comprises a pair of cross bars-dorf engaging. said-.Wings-andhandle -meansto force said- 1cross iba-rs ydownward-ly.

4.t Theinven-tionl-.denedinclaim-1, in which saidpspringf means i comprise spring hinges forl securing.. said-swings: to said base, and -in which pai-r of manually-operated.l depressiblecross bars -s areprovided 1i or forcing.- saidY Wings down wardl-y againstthefactionoli-said spring hinges.

5;. The invention-defined inclairn 1, in ywhiclfi said spring means-comprise spr-ing hinges for securing,A said:r wings-to `said ibase; and in -which apair.. of5 man-ual-lweperated--depressible crosscation.ener-form-ipbfiivhielfi theinventiony mayl-.be- 4o; bars are. provided-.fior` forcing-'said wings downembodied, it is to be. understood-:that this-formisA shown-.for the purpose-of illustration tonly,V and-A that the:` invention- .is--not :toA be .limitedtothe-z- 'specic disclosure, but may be modified and-em,-

Wardly against .,the, action `oi -said spring hinges, and spring .means-torpressingvsai-d cross bars upwardly... Y

6.-. The inventionas-dened in claim-1, inwhich from-.lits spirit.l Inrshortsthef invention includes-- all.A the .-modicationsfand embodiments :coming:

within the; scopeof the followiI-igclaims,

Havi-ngfthus .fully-described .theinven-tiom what" is claimed-asnew land .for which itis-desired .to 59 secure Letters--Patent,.-is:

1 Ina Vbottle loader" for simultaneously.-ftrans-y ferring.. a plurality off. bottleshavingenlargedupper. beads` fromaone place-to. another, a basehaving a row of spacecbapertures shaped.-to.em-- 55" Number r brace the enlarged. .upper-beads o-fsaidplurality oi bottles When-.1 lowered thereupon,. aipair-.r of: initially` upwardly-.inclined- :wings-hingedtessa-id, base and: loeated=up.o-noppositel sides of said aper;`

tures, relatively-,strong spring ,meanstof-presssaidfX 63x wings Aupwardly to.- non-bottle-holding 4:position` and manually operated depressible-means.=fforf swinging,.sadiV wingsdownwardly rtd-cause them with the apertures in said base..-

JOHN -LARD/IETT. JOI-INS...

REFERENCES CITED The: following-:references yare of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED". STATES PATENTS. 

